Xfinity beta app is now on Roku; for now, customers still need a Comcast TV box.

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Comcast has brought a beta version of its Xfinity TV app to Roku streaming devices, but customers who use the app in addition to a Comcast TV box after the beta trial ends will have to pay an extra fee.

Using the app is free during the beta trial, but for now the app can only be used if you're also paying for a Comcast set-top box. That limitation will eventually go away, but initially that means the Roku app won't be able to completely replace a traditional TV box.

Roku announced the Xfinity TV beta app yesterday, and Comcast posted an FAQ with more information. The Comcast FAQ explains that "additional outlet" charges are being waived during the beta trial, but that won't be the case after the beta ends: "Customers will not pay equipment charges with respect to their use of Roku devices," Comcast wrote. "All other fees associated with a customer's service will apply, except that, during the Beta trial, additional outlet charges for services to outlets connected to Roku devices are being waived. On conclusion of the trial, you will be informed of the charges that will apply for connecting this device with your Xfinity TV service and will have the opportunity to opt in."

Varietypoints out that "Comcast's additional outlet service fees per set-top box are $9.95 per month; customers using their own substitute equipment, such as a TiVo, receive a $2.50 credit (resulting in a net charge of $7.45 per month)." That might give an indication of what Comcast will charge for Roku use, though Variety quoted a Comcast rep as saying that the company is "evaluating our additional outlet policies."

Comcast is calling this a beta because the app "is still in its development stages," and the company wants customer feedback. One big limitation during the beta is that the service can't replace a Comcast set-top box: "During this Beta phase, due to technical limitations, customers using the Xfinity TV Beta app on Roku (other than Stream customers) can only use that app on secondary TV outlets and will need to have at least one Comcast-provided TV box in their home. You do not have to connect the Comcast-provided TV box and Roku to the same TV."

The "Stream customers" Comcast referred to are those signed up for Stream TV, a basic TV service for Comcast Internet customers that does not require a TV box. The beta app is available on all Roku players released in the last couple of years (full list in the FAQ), and support for additional Roku models is in the works.

We asked Comcast several questions about why Roku outlet charges are necessary and how much they will cost, the need for a Comcast TV box during the beta phase, and expected availability date for a non-beta version of the app. We'll provide an update if we get one.

(UPDATE: Comcast responded to us and confirmed that Roku devices will be treated similarly to CableCard devices in terms of pricing. Customers who use a Roku as a "primary outlet" after the beta is over will get a $2.50 credit on their bill; the "primary outlet" isn't an itemized fee but is included as part of paying for a TV subscription. Using a Roku as an "additional outlet" will cost $9.95, but the $2.50 credit will lower the price to $7.45. Xfinity TV app access on phones and tablets does not cost extra.)

The Comcast Roku app lets customers stream live TV from their entire channel lineup, access the Xfinity video on-demand library, and provides recordings to customers who also have the X1 Cloud DVR. To use the beta app, customers must subscribe to Comcast TV and Internet service "and have a compatible IP gateway." Though it requires Internet service, TV on Roku is still considered a "cable" service and doesn't count against Comcast data caps. "The Xfinity TV service delivered through the Xfinity TV Beta app is not an Internet service and does not touch or use the Internet," Comcast's FAQ said. "Rather, it is a Title VI cable service delivered solely over Comcast's private, managed cable network, so it will not count toward your Xfinity Internet Data Usage Plan."

The Comcast Internet gateway can also be used as the cable service gateway, Comcast said. In the future, it might be possible to watch Comcast TV on a Roku without a Comcast Internet subscription, as Comcast says it is "working hard to make cable-only gateway equipment available soon."

The beta app has some other limitations. It "will not include the ability to rent or buy programming or play back previously purchased programs," and "SAP may experience intermittent availability." It also won't work with DVR recordings stored on a local hard drive, though as previously mentioned, it can use Comcast's cloud-based DVR. While not all X1 features are available in the beta, Comcast said it is "working diligently" to add new functionality in future releases.

158 Reader Comments

Rejoice! We are Comcast are giving you an option to watch TV without having to pay $10 a month for a set top box!

You can use tech you ALREADY HAVE!

For a $10 a month outlet fee!

This message is FCC approved. Get used to it.

Last year I bought my own modem from Amazon to replace Comcast's all in one modem/switch/AP combo device. I called them, read off the MAC, and was up and running in a few minutes.

Next bill comes, and there is a $10 "Self Install Fee." ? What?

Wait... so they charged you for work you did on your own time? Please tell me you disputed that.

Though, I guess we can all expect things to get shittier and stupider until we have to bust out the pitchforks.

In fairness, to have the install done by a tech would probably have cost more like $100. As it is, if you read his post, he did require the service of an employee (the call), so that's what they're basing the $10 charge on most likely. Still ridiculous given what that person makes and the time allotted, but he still saved $90 or so by using his own time/labor on his end.

Locally it cost $50 for comcast to do the install. They showed up on time, a two man team, ran a new cable drop from the pole, and scurried around in the attic to fix wiring as the place had DIsh/Direct+cable in the past and the wiring was a mess. Yes, i was shocked by their timeliness and the extent that they went to (new pole drop without even checking it first). In the end i'm glad i didn't waste my time with a DIY install as the place had wiring problems i couldn't have see and i hate doing that shit myself (attic in June in south FL).

That said the other guy proceeded to start slashing wires and removing the outside drop box while the lead ran the new drop. And the lead had to stop him and ask me if the other side of the duplex has sat tv or not? Because the other duffuss had already got ahead of things and cut their wiring too (they replaced the old drop box that both sides use). lol, the lead went next door and asked them, and was relieved they didn't have sat/cable that he'd need to apologize for effin' up. *shrug*

Rejoice! We are Comcast are giving you an option to watch TV without having to pay $10 a month for a set top box!

You can use tech you ALREADY HAVE!

For a $10 a month outlet fee!

This message is FCC approved. Get used to it.

Last year I bought my own modem from Amazon to replace Comcast's all in one modem/switch/AP combo device. I called them, read off the MAC, and was up and running in a few minutes.

Next bill comes, and there is a $10 "Self Install Fee." ? What?

Wait... so they charged you for work you did on your own time? Please tell me you disputed that.

Though, I guess we can all expect things to get shittier and stupider until we have to bust out the pitchforks.

In fairness, to have the install done by a tech would probably have cost more like $100. As it is, if you read his post, he did require the service of an employee (the call), so that's what they're basing the $10 charge on most likely. Still ridiculous given what that person makes and the time allotted, but he still saved $90 or so by using his own time/labor on his end.

Locally it cost $50 for comcast to do the install. They showed up on time, a two man team, ran a new cable drop from the pole, and scurried around in the attic to fix wiring as the place had DIsh/Direct+cable in the past and the wiring was a mess. Yes, i was shocked by their timeliness and the extent that they went to (new pole drop without even checking it first). In the end i'm glad i didn't waste my time with a DIY install as the place had wiring problems i couldn't have see and i hate doing that shit myself (attic in June in south FL).

That said the other guy proceeded to start slashing wires and removing the outside drop box while the lead ran the new drop. And the lead had to stop him and ask me if the other side of the duplex has sat tv or not? Because the other duffuss had already got ahead of things and cut their wiring too (they replaced the old drop box that both sides use). lol, the lead went next door and asked them, and was relieved they didn't have sat/cable that he'd need to apologize for effin' up. *shrug*

Even then he's saving $40 on what may have been a $50 install.

I'll say I had a good experience with my Comcast install as well. Showed up on time, worked quickly but thoroughly, replaced a bunch of wiring/equipment at no additional charge, etc. Took the time to walk me through it so I could sketch out the new wiring diagram for the house. Think he was a subcontractor, IIRC, but had no complaints.

If all you need is to hook up a modem though, no need to pay for a truck roll.

if you have cable tv then you don't need the app, if you don't have cable tv then the app is useless and you should be using one of a hundred competitors.

Because you generally only get 1 set-top box with your cable subscription, and you are required to use a set-top box for any TVs you want to watch cable shows on. This way, you can use a Roku on your other TVs, instead of buying/renting more set-top boxes. And get access to features like Private Listening, and search, and all the other Roku channels; without having to constantly change TV inputs.

Most set-top boxes are also power hogs, with slow interfaces, and annoyingly complex remotes that may or may not work with your TV. Roku supports CEC so you can power on/off, and change volume (for Roku remotes that support volume controls), and access all the Roku stuff, using just the little purple Roku remote.

One of the reasons we stopped our Shaw cable TV sub was because of the annoying set-top boxes and remotes. If they come out with a Roku channel, it might be worth looking into again (although it's doubtful we'd ever go back to paying for cable TV now that we have Netflix and Plex running on our Rokus).

2) Given the new FCC, Title II regulation of ISPs may disappear soon anyway.

That said, this seems very much like a Carterfone type situation. The network owner is handling compatible hardware which doesn't damage the network differently than it handles its own hardware. From a legal perspective, what sort of case would need to occur to disallow extra fees for the use of third-party compatible hardware like Carterfone disallowed blocking compatible hardware?

IMO, once the bits have been delivered to my home from the source, my ISP has no say or right to control what I do with them - especially since they don't own the vast majority of those bits or the data they represent. A compatible streaming device would fall under that heading - there is no legal justification in my non-lawyer mind for charging me extra for what I do with my bits once they are in my home.

Rejoice! We are Comcast are giving you an option to watch TV without having to pay $10 a month for a set top box!

You can use tech you ALREADY HAVE!

For a $10 a month outlet fee!

This message is FCC approved. Get used to it.

Last year I bought my own modem from Amazon to replace Comcast's all in one modem/switch/AP combo device. I called them, read off the MAC, and was up and running in a few minutes.

Next bill comes, and there is a $10 "Self Install Fee." ? What?

Wait... so they charged you for work you did on your own time? Please tell me you disputed that.

Though, I guess we can all expect things to get shittier and stupider until we have to bust out the pitchforks.

In fairness, to have the install done by a tech would probably have cost more like $100. As it is, if you read his post, he did require the service of an employee (the call), so that's what they're basing the $10 charge on most likely. Still ridiculous given what that person makes and the time allotted, but he still saved $90 or so by using his own time/labor on his end.

Locally it cost $50 for comcast to do the install. They showed up on time, a two man team, ran a new cable drop from the pole, and scurried around in the attic to fix wiring as the place had DIsh/Direct+cable in the past and the wiring was a mess. Yes, i was shocked by their timeliness and the extent that they went to (new pole drop without even checking it first). In the end i'm glad i didn't waste my time with a DIY install as the place had wiring problems i couldn't have see and i hate doing that shit myself (attic in June in south FL).

That said the other guy proceeded to start slashing wires and removing the outside drop box while the lead ran the new drop. And the lead had to stop him and ask me if the other side of the duplex has sat tv or not? Because the other duffuss had already got ahead of things and cut their wiring too (they replaced the old drop box that both sides use). lol, the lead went next door and asked them, and was relieved they didn't have sat/cable that he'd need to apologize for effin' up. *shrug*

Even then he's saving $40 on what may have been a $50 install.

I'll say I had a good experience with my Comcast install as well. Showed up on time, worked quickly but thoroughly, replaced a bunch of wiring/equipment at no additional charge, etc. Took the time to walk me through it so I could sketch out the new wiring diagram for the house. Think he was a subcontractor, IIRC, but had no complaints.

If all you need is to hook up a modem though, no need to pay for a truck roll.

Absolutely, if you know your wiring is good DIY is the way to go. I'd just moved into a 10 yr old duplex with 2 derelict dishes on it, a decrepit looking drop from the pole, and old, old drop box put in by Time Warner ages ago. And the rest of the wiring was suspect as well given the different services the house had over the years.

I was just shocked that they were on time and efficient. Actually getting to that point with Comcast on the other hand was a complete clusterfuck due to customer service incompetence!

2) Given the new FCC, Title II regulation of ISPs may disappear soon anyway.

That said, this seems very much like a Carterfone type situation. The network owner is handling compatible hardware which doesn't damage the network differently than it handles its own hardware. From a legal perspective, what sort of case would need to occur to disallow extra fees for the use of third-party compatible hardware like Carterfone disallowed blocking compatible hardware?

IMO, once the bits have been delivered to my home from the source, my ISP has no say or right to control what I do with them - especially since they don't own the vast majority of those bits or the data they represent. A compatible streaming device would fall under that heading - there is no legal justification in my non-lawyer mind for charging me extra for what I do with my bits once they are in my home.

Sadly i don't think there is a way around their scummy greed. It seems their current vector is to give the first basic STB free and charge a rental fee for each additional outlet. Now with 3rd party STB like roku they will charge an additional outlet fee. They could easily change vector with new policy. Their STB is free and you pay an across the board outlet fee for each one you connect, regardless it's source. Same profit and they are treating all STB connections "fairly".

PlayStation Vue. I pay $37.99 a month for nearly exactly the same cable channels I used to pay $95 for.

I have Sling right now, which aside from their godawful interface is pretty decent, and same thing...I get the networks I actually watched (FX, AMC, USA, etc) for $30 or so. Only downside is some don't have any on-demand features, or even allow pausing. USA is the worst, IIRC, which sucks for watching Mr. Robot. Luckily that's all I watch on USA.

I'm surprised that Comcast hasn't instituted a charge for people who plan on using streaming set-top boxes in lieu of cable television subscription yet. But I bet that's coming.

What do you think bundling is? I pay less for bundling internet and cable than I would for internet alone.

May want to check the fine print. That usually is only an introductory offer, and the the price will double or more at the end of the period. Not only that, you are probably paying a bunch of additional fees, and "taxes", that you would not be paying internet only. My introductory internet pricing more than doubled after a year. I figured out I didn't need 75mb service to watch HD Netflix/Amazon, etc. I dropped back to 25, and everything works fine.

I'm surprised that Comcast hasn't instituted a charge for people who plan on using streaming set-top boxes in lieu of cable television subscription yet. But I bet that's coming.

What do you think bundling is? I pay less for bundling internet and cable than I would for internet alone.

May want to check the fine print. That usually is only an introductory offer, and the the price will double or more at the end of the period. Not only that, you are probably paying a bunch of additional fees, and "taxes", that you would not be paying internet only. My introductory internet pricing more than doubled after a year. I figured out I didn't need 75mb service to watch HD Netflix/Amazon, etc. I dropped back to 25, and everything works fine.

That being said, when they got rid of QAM, that got me to drop cable.

I'd probably happily pay for their bargain-basement tier, it's only like $10 or $20 a month more than internet alone, if they'd just give me unencrypted broadcast networks. Just to save me the trouble of getting an antenna solution going.

Alas.

EDIT: I still technically have cable, the SD box they gave me is in a closet in a bag still, but the "bundle" with basic-basic-basic cable was actually less, even after fees, than internet alone. With HBO. And HBO Go.

To be honest, I'm kind of confused as to what they are charging for here, but it reads a lot like "we're adding a fee because we can", which is high on the list of reasons people cut the cord.

After cutting the cord I was surprised just how much stuff is broadcast over the air now. I get 55 channels and I'm in a valley. And this is with a homemade antenna. Granted, I'll probably never watch a good 40 of those channels, but is that worse than having 150 channels and not watching 130 of them?

I'm only counting channels that come in crystal clear with no breakups on a clear day too.

Really depends where you live.

When OTA went digital I went from getting about 8-10 very clear, watchable channels to 1 channel that breaks up with green squares and cuts in/out on a regular basis.

When the FCC fleshed out the digital broadcast TV standard they royally fucked up on their coverage/ penetration projection maps. It was so bad that they made allowances for some VHF stations to go to a new UHF channel, as VHF low band transmitter range was awful. Even across the UHF band if you look at the xmitter range maps vs. actual reception it's terrible.

Another huge downside of the digital standard is you need to build a relatively expensive tuner to receive a mobile signal like a tv in a car. Cheap tuners can't handle being in motion without losing signal.

I was originally planning on replacing two DTA boxes I have (which are $5.99/month) with Rokus...but that would just end up costing me even more more money despite not even using Comcast hardware anymore.

To be honest, I'm kind of confused as to what they are charging for here, but it reads a lot like "we're adding a fee because we can", which is high on the list of reasons people cut the cord.

After cutting the cord I was surprised just how much stuff is broadcast over the air now. I get 55 channels and I'm in a valley. And this is with a homemade antenna. Granted, I'll probably never watch a good 40 of those channels, but is that worse than having 150 channels and not watching 130 of them?

I'm only counting channels that come in crystal clear with no breakups on a clear day too.

Really depends where you live.

When OTA went digital I went from getting about 8-10 very clear, watchable channels to 1 channel that breaks up with green squares and cuts in/out on a regular basis.

When the FCC fleshed out the digital broadcast TV standard they royally fucked up on their coverage/ penetration projection maps. It was so bad that they made allowances for some VHF stations to go to a new UHF channel, as VHF low band transmitter range was awful. Even across the UHF band if you look at the xmitter range maps vs. actual reception it's terrible.

Another huge downside of the digital standard is you need to build a relatively expensive tuner to receive a mobile signal like a tv in a car. Cheap tuners can't handle being in motion without losing signal.

Well put. The most noticable downside is that analog signals degraded gracefully, while digital falls off a cliff almost immediately. A little snow was usually acceptable if you really wanted to watch something, but a video that freezes up entirely (and sound that breaks up, often with loud artifacts that make me worry for my speakers) render content unwatchable.

I was all for the transition in my old rural area, where we went from "maybe, if you're super lucky, you can get two channels that you can kinda make out" to "every network crystal clear." Now I understand the tradeoffs that were made.

It's a good thing we've got such a staunch and spirited pro-consumer protection advocate in the FTC and the FCC to keep underhanded, corrupt, and unethical business behaviors at bay. Of course, not that we need those advocates. Because there's absolutely NO precedent of abusing customers for profit on the parts of these big Telecomms.

To be honest, I'm kind of confused as to what they are charging for here, but it reads a lot like "we're adding a fee because we can", which is high on the list of reasons people cut the cord.

After cutting the cord I was surprised just how much stuff is broadcast over the air now. I get 55 channels and I'm in a valley. And this is with a homemade antenna. Granted, I'll probably never watch a good 40 of those channels, but is that worse than having 150 channels and not watching 130 of them?

I'm only counting channels that come in crystal clear with no breakups on a clear day too.

I don't know where you live but there's a cool over the air Sci-Fi channel called Comet that seems to be in a lot of markets. Its almost entirely old sci-fi and horror mostly from 2000 and earlier. A lot of corny stuff but I love it, reminds me of watching Saturday Afternoon television in the 90s. They even had the occasional rights to show MST3K.

I get Comet. It's only SD, but since it mostly shows old stuff that's not a big problem. It shows way more SF than the SciFi channel to boot.

I'm surprised that Comcast hasn't instituted a charge for people who plan on using streaming set-top boxes in lieu of cable television subscription yet. But I bet that's coming.

What do you think bundling is? I pay less for bundling internet and cable than I would for internet alone.

May want to check the fine print. That usually is only an introductory offer, and the the price will double or more at the end of the period. Not only that, you are probably paying a bunch of additional fees, and "taxes", that you would not be paying internet only. My introductory internet pricing more than doubled after a year. I figured out I didn't need 75mb service to watch HD Netflix/Amazon, etc. I dropped back to 25, and everything works fine.

That being said, when they got rid of QAM, that got me to drop cable.

Another thing is that you have to call. I have FiOS and when I ditched the cable TV service I thought I was going to be stuck paying the internet rate they listed on their website, but it turns out their is a hidden service that is 35MB symmetric for $30/month. That seemed pretty reasonable to me, and way better than the $80 for 50MB symmetric they advertised on their website.

I'm surprised that Comcast hasn't instituted a charge for people who plan on using streaming set-top boxes in lieu of cable television subscription yet. But I bet that's coming.

That sounds like an innovation that our new FCC chair can help iron out!

If you live in Comcasts territory you must purchase a Comcast cable package or else you will be "taxed" the same cost as a Comcast subscription, so you might as well just buy Comcast cable.

And if you want to stream movies via the internet we will find out via packet auditing. You will be charged an extra fee on your internet bill (also provided by Comcast... isn't Monopoly a fun game ) which will be on top of the fees that we are soon going to be charging Netflix again for that "Super Fast Lane" access once the FCC demolishes net neutrality. You know, that "Super Fast Lane" fee that companies like Netflix will have no choice but to pass on to their consumers.

So let's recap:

You'll get to ("get to" because its a privilege to pay these fees) pay a fee for not having Comcast cable TV, a fee for streaming TV and movies from a different provider, be billed more from said provider due to the provider being charged more to send you content and have to pay rental charges for all the necessary hardware to make it work. Why not chuck in a fee for registering the MAC address of each one of your internet connected devices too... might as well, I mean what are you going to do about it? Switch to a different provider?

I'm surprised that Comcast hasn't instituted a charge for people who plan on using streaming set-top boxes in lieu of cable television subscription yet. But I bet that's coming.

What do you think bundling is? I pay less for bundling internet and cable than I would for internet alone.

May want to check the fine print. That usually is only an introductory offer, and the the price will double or more at the end of the period. Not only that, you are probably paying a bunch of additional fees, and "taxes", that you would not be paying internet only. My introductory internet pricing more than doubled after a year. I figured out I didn't need 75mb service to watch HD Netflix/Amazon, etc. I dropped back to 25, and everything works fine.

That being said, when they got rid of QAM, that got me to drop cable.

It is the introductory rate, which we've been having to call about once a year for the last ten years or so. The fees and taxes are a bit of a wash and the differential may make the two options price out near equivalent, but it still works out to a disincentive to drop cable.

The previous owner cut the cable line to the room where our TV is in order to have a drop into the master bath, so we couldn't even watch on our television if we wanted. Couple that with the lack of streaming solution, it just isn't something we miss.

The fix for this is easy, just don't feed Comcast any more money. Let them roll out more garbage services that no one uses, people are fed up with their BS, and a lot of those people are choosing to cut the cord, as am I.

Just another reason to drop the TV portion of cable and just go internet only .....Oh wait...... damm...... those pesky data caps . If we only had real choice and competition .FCC to the rescue ...... damm ....closed down due to the over sized big gov't reductions Make America great program

With the HDHomeRun and their apps and the back end options for DVR it's really hard to justify cable these days. I think Comcast is milking money out of non-tech savvy users.

As somebody who has cut the cord (and who is running an HDhomerun setup), i disagree. It has nothing to do with how tech savvy you are and everything to do with where your house sits at this point. Because when your GF's sister is visiting and wants to watch The Bachelor, they don't want to see a bunch of green boxes and AV artifacts because the channel decided to take a crap again. As I noted before, it's impossible for me to get both ABC and FOX with one static antenna.

Getting such a setup to a state of "girlfriend push-button readiness" and keeping it there is basically a part-time job. At a certain point an extra $100 a month for cable...and the (relatively) solid signal and (relatively) easy to use DVR starts to look like a bargain

I have a quite a few setups that my wife and 4-year-old daughter have figured out just fine. I have both an OTA and Prime tuner. My backend is FreeNAS running the DVR software and the save directory linked to Plex. There's the HDHomeRun app on the Android phones, Android Tablet, Windows 10 Laptop, and Windows 10 tablet. For the Roku TV I run a Plex server. This is because it's wall mounted and we wanted no cables or boxes laying around (I ran power behind it). They load up Plex, their profile, and then the "channel" addon. For the main movie and sports rig I have Kodi running on a NUC with the HDHomeRun app linked front and center (emulators and Steam are on it linked from the Kodi front page, too). That system has a Logitech Harmony remote. Then there is the Xbox One S with the app, again with the Logitech remote. If they want Plex on the One S I have that loaded, too. The only thing I run into issues with is the iPad, but that's more of an education toy for the kid, and baby (I don't feel like jail breaking another one). That's a lot of ways to do the same thing. If I was worried about girlfriends I'd just have NUCs all around with Kodi to keep it standard. If one way isn't intuitive enough they figure out another.

Can't wait until the government calls the backlash contemptment towards its carefully thought out and flawless regulations. Not only would the disrespect be deserved, but it's can't be contempt. That implies people have emotion towards the government. The people don't care about what the government; it has pushed people to apathy. They have moved well beyond disrespect.

As infuriating as it is that they'd charge you for accessing their service on your OWN hardware...I would say it's worth it just to not have to use their shitty DVRs anymore. But make no mistake, this is still a pile of bullshit and a clear example of why nobody in America thinks they're a good company.

It sounds like this is basically the Roku version of the iOS/Android X1 app, and if so, you will still need at least one Comcast DVR for it to work. The video is actually taken from the main DVR, fed over the cable IP network to Comcast, then back to your cable modem over the data IP network, technically not reaching the internet. Or something to that extent.

Even if that's not the case, I would be willing to bet the UI would be just as bad, just like on the iOS and Android app.

I know I'll be slammed for this, but it does seem kinda reasonable to charge something for this. They have to cover their development and support costs for this app. It's not uncommon for people to pay to use an app. It's not that I expect the price for the app to be reasonable, but to charge something to cover the costs is reasonable.

It's most likely the same system they're using for the iOS and Android app, since they were demo'ing an Android TV version of the X1 app last year on an Nvidia Shield Android TV. That in itself is basically just the tablet version with slight adjustments so that the remote control can work in the same UI. Comcast already sees the tablet apps as being an added value that is covered by the existing cost of subscription.

Even if that wasn't the case, and this was something brand new from the ground up, Comcast customers are already paying for that development and support in the form of the original cable subscription. Said subscriptions are already too high, and Comcast has been making absurd profits for years. This isn't covering costs, this is greed.

I was originally planning on replacing two DTA boxes I have (which are $5.99/month) with Rokus...but that would just end up costing me even more more money despite not even using Comcast hardware anymore.

Get an HDHomeRun Prime. It's been mentioned a few times in the comments here. It's a network tuner that can tune up to three different channels using a single CableCard. Comcast will give you the first CableCard for free (not counting any existing Comcast boxes with a CableCard, because those have their own rental fee). In my house it looks like this:

Comcast DVR in living room - Paid by normal fee for that box

Three other TVs each have a small device like a Raspberry Pi 3 (these make excellent devices for this set up. Just be sure to buy the $2 MPEG-2 codec key, as Comcast is dragging their asses on switching to h.264). All connected by wired ethernet, but a good wireless AC connection would work as well, or some "powerline" ethernet adapters that use the house mains wiring.

Next to the Comcast DVR, with a coax splitter, is the HDHomeRun Prime. Coax goes in, as does an ethernet connection. No cost. Actually, Comcast credits you $2.50 for providing your own equipment, but only for the first box. You do have to pick up the CableCard at a local Comcast office, then call and have them activate it once it is in the Prime, but this is surprisingly painless these days.

Since it supports three tuners, the single HDHomeRun Prime can stream full HD video to each TV, which can be on different channels. Unused tuners can be used with recording software if you don't think you need to use three TVs at once.

The only catch is that movie channels like HBO have a sort of DRM on them (a copy flag that the HDHomeRun honors), and will only playback on certain devices. These include the PlayStation 4 (maybe the 3?), soon Android TV via the HDHomeRun view app (should be a future update, IIRC), and some others (probably listed on the Silicon Dust website, makers of the HDHomeRuns).

Just about every other Comcast channel works fine on any device, and it supports HTTP and UPnP protocols. It even has built-in guide data and you can use a traditional EPG grid using a program like Kodi. Plus, you can mark certain channels as "favorites" on the HDHomeRun Prime, which all of the clients will read, allowing you to have a curated lineup. They've even got some nice PVR software in beta, and you can roll your own if you like to DIY stuff. The recording system uses a very simple HTTP API.

TL;DR- With HDHomeRun Prime you can power three TVs with Comcast with no additional cost, in full HD, using your own equipment.

Meantime in Cox land, they lock down monthly limits to 1TB which just happens to be a little bigger than many that use streaming services as primary cable now are using in a month. Most Cox customers of Sony Vue, Hulu, Netflix, cut the cord options are reporting avg 750 GB per month just in stream service.

Rejoice! We are Comcast are giving you an option to watch TV without having to pay $10 a month for a set top box!

You can use tech you ALREADY HAVE!

For a $10 a month outlet fee!

This message is FCC approved. Get used to it.

Last year I bought my own modem from Amazon to replace Comcast's all in one modem/switch/AP combo device. I called them, read off the MAC, and was up and running in a few minutes.

Next bill comes, and there is a $10 "Self Install Fee." ? What?

Wait... so they charged you for work you did on your own time? Please tell me you disputed that.

Though, I guess we can all expect things to get shittier and stupider until we have to bust out the pitchforks.

I did the same thing last year, but I used their online web page to set up my new modem. When you remove their modem and install a new one, you can only get to one web page, the "install new modem" page, which walks you through adding the new modem to your account.

No "self install fee" that I remember, and I checked my next bill pretty carefully, to make sure they had stopped charging me for their modem (which I returned to their office, in person, and got a receipt).

I was also forced by Verizon to change my wireline POTS to a fiber-based connection (which they installed for no charge, because they were forcing me off copper). After the first new bill came in, I bought an OOMA VOIP box and ported my wireline number to it, cancelling my Verizon service, but retaining the fiber and termination unit. Now, I can get FIOS without any install charge, just in case I reach my limit of patience with Comcast.

I'm surprised that Comcast hasn't instituted a charge for people who plan on using streaming set-top boxes in lieu of cable television subscription yet. But I bet that's coming.

They already do. If you buy internet access off Comcast without getting TV, that internet access will cost more. In some locations so much more, that people find it cheaper to buy the minimum tv channel package and internet.

And then there are the data caps Comcast and others are rolling out as more people attempt to cut the cable cord.

It's almost like Comcast has a minimum revenue stream they expect from each customer and one way or another they're going to get it.

Rejoice! We are Comcast are giving you an option to watch TV without having to pay $10 a month for a set top box!

You can use tech you ALREADY HAVE!

For a $10 a month outlet fee!

This message is FCC approved. Get used to it.

Last year I bought my own modem from Amazon to replace Comcast's all in one modem/switch/AP combo device. I called them, read off the MAC, and was up and running in a few minutes.

Next bill comes, and there is a $10 "Self Install Fee." ? What?

They did that to me, I called and got it waived. The next month they tried to raise my contracted year long rate.

Several years ago I was with ATT, when, finally, naked DSL arrived. Yay! I called, cancelled the landline I'd never used a single time and didn't have anything plugged into. They charged me $5 for not having a landline. OK, well at least I was paying less.

They raised my DSL rates each year until I was paying exactly what I was paying for the landline.

But, this being ATT there is more. When they cancelled my landline, they cancelled my account and created a new one because my landline number was my account number. They didn't tell me this which meant I couldn't access my bill online and pay them.

Rejoice! We are Comcast are giving you an option to watch TV without having to pay $10 a month for a set top box!

You can use tech you ALREADY HAVE!

For a $10 a month outlet fee!

This message is FCC approved. Get used to it.

Last year I bought my own modem from Amazon to replace Comcast's all in one modem/switch/AP combo device. I called them, read off the MAC, and was up and running in a few minutes.

Next bill comes, and there is a $10 "Self Install Fee." ? What?

Wait... so they charged you for work you did on your own time? Please tell me you disputed that.

Though, I guess we can all expect things to get shittier and stupider until we have to bust out the pitchforks.

I did the same thing last year, but I used their online web page to set up my new modem. When you remove their modem and install a new one, you can only get to one web page, the "install new modem" page, which walks you through adding the new modem to your account.

No "self install fee" that I remember, and I checked my next bill pretty carefully, to make sure they had stopped charging me for their modem (which I returned to their office, in person, and got a receipt).

I was also forced by Verizon to change my wireline POTS to a fiber-based connection (which they installed for no charge, because they were forcing me off copper). After the first new bill came in, I bought an OOMA VOIP box and ported my wireline number to it, cancelling my Verizon service, but retaining the fiber and termination unit. Now, I can get FIOS without any install charge, just in case I reach my limit of patience with Comcast.

I tried that with Cox when setting up my account. I had everything set up and had to wait for a tech to turn on the outside line. He asked to come in and check to make sure everything was working. After he left I called in and gave the MAC address to the router.First bill there was a $50 installation fee. I called to get it removed but according to them since the tech had come into my house and interacted with the router, they had to charge it and wouldn't budge. Couldn't even threaten to switch providers since they're the only cable internet provider and 3Mbps isn't fast enough for me to remote into work when I need to.

These comments are nothing more than an echo chamber of comcast hate. I don't get it. I feel like a lot of people forget that cable and internet are both luxuries, not a natural-born god given right. And like all luxury services and products, you have two choices: pay for it, or don't.

The entitlement on display here is through the roof. Its like you guys won't be happy till you're getting premier cable and gigabit internet with all paid channels included on as many TVs as you want and as many devices as you want no matter what for $0.

These comments are nothing more than an echo chamber of comcast hate. I don't get it. I feel like a lot of people forget that cable and internet are both luxuries, not a natural-born god given right. And like all luxury services and products, you have two choices: pay for it, or don't.

The entitlement on display here is through the roof. Its like you guys won't be happy till you're getting premier cable and gigabit internet with all paid channels included on as many TVs as you want and as many devices as you want no matter what for $0.

I pay for a service. I expect that service to be as promised.Ice Cream is a luxury. If I go to an ice cream parlor and order a hot fudge sundae, and pay for a hot fudge sundae, and what they give me is a cup half full of mostly melted ice cream with nothing on it, of course I'm entitled to be pissed. They advertised a product. I paid for a product. I'm entitled to what I paid for.

And in modern day life I'd say internet is not a luxury. 500Mbps may be a luxury but internet in general is not. But people have a right to be pissed about not getting what they expected, luxury or not.

These comments are nothing more than an echo chamber of comcast hate. I don't get it. I feel like a lot of people forget that cable and internet are both luxuries, not a natural-born god given right. And like all luxury services and products, you have two choices: pay for it, or don't.

The entitlement on display here is through the roof. Its like you guys won't be happy till you're getting premier cable and gigabit internet with all paid channels included on as many TVs as you want and as many devices as you want no matter what for $0.

I agree with you on cable TV, but the world is becoming such that not having Internet access is a severe limiting factor on your future prospects. Or if your Internet time is limited to an hour or so when you have a chance to walk over to the library. IMHO, Internet access should be treated like electricity access. Fine to visit, but not where you want to raise a family.

I'll go with the sure-to-be-unpopular position that charging something for use of the app makes sense. Development and support isn't free, and if I'm not using their app I don't want to pay for it. However there's no justification for a "per outlet" charge (rather than per household), and surely whatever rate they settle at will be obscene. But if we were talking about like $2.50 a month total? I don't think I'd really care.

It's really too bad they didn't use the same magic fairy pixie dust as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO and literally every other streaming service provider. It apparently doesn't cost those guys anything to develop their software, since they all give their apps away for free.

Rejoice! We are Comcast are giving you an option to watch TV without having to pay $10 a month for a set top box!

You can use tech you ALREADY HAVE!

For a $10 a month outlet fee!

This message is FCC approved. Get used to it.

Last year I bought my own modem from Amazon to replace Comcast's all in one modem/switch/AP combo device. I called them, read off the MAC, and was up and running in a few minutes.

Next bill comes, and there is a $10 "Self Install Fee." ? What?

Wait... so they charged you for work you did on your own time? Please tell me you disputed that.

Though, I guess we can all expect things to get shittier and stupider until we have to bust out the pitchforks.

I did the same thing last year, but I used their online web page to set up my new modem. When you remove their modem and install a new one, you can only get to one web page, the "install new modem" page, which walks you through adding the new modem to your account.

No "self install fee" that I remember, and I checked my next bill pretty carefully, to make sure they had stopped charging me for their modem (which I returned to their office, in person, and got a receipt).

I was also forced by Verizon to change my wireline POTS to a fiber-based connection (which they installed for no charge, because they were forcing me off copper). After the first new bill came in, I bought an OOMA VOIP box and ported my wireline number to it, cancelling my Verizon service, but retaining the fiber and termination unit. Now, I can get FIOS without any install charge, just in case I reach my limit of patience with Comcast.

I tried that with Cox when setting up my account. I had everything set up and had to wait for a tech to turn on the outside line. He asked to come in and check to make sure everything was working. After he left I called in and gave the MAC address to the router.First bill there was a $50 installation fee. I called to get it removed but according to them since the tech had come into my house and interacted with the router, they had to charge it and wouldn't budge. Couldn't even threaten to switch providers since they're the only cable internet provider and 3Mbps isn't fast enough for me to remote into work when I need to.

When I upgraded to a DOCSIS 3.0 modem on Cox, I called in to have it provisioned, but after a couple of hours with various techs it never worked. So they scheduled an on site tech to check it out. He spent a couple of hours in and around the property, and he couldn't get it working either, so he called the internal help desk. It turned out the original person I talked to had mistyped a number into a form. It took two minutes to go through provisioning again and everything worked fine.

Currently with my Comcast CableCard I have a $2.50 credit with an access charge for $9.95. This access charge is for multiple tuners as my HDHomeRun Prime has three. Fortunately Comcast does not charge based on per tuner (i.e. per TV) when it comes to the CableCard but that could change with the app. So my questions are:

What if I use a combined CableCard and the app? From my understanding Comcast charges an extra $9.95 per additional CableCard in addition to the $9.95 access fee when coupling that CableCard to a multi-tuner device. So, will I be charged an extra $9.95 for the app since Comcast sees it as another "device" similar to having two CableCards?

What about when my secondary TV becomes a tertiary TV? I have three TVs that would benefit from the app (hopefully the Samsung version comes soon). However, I also have a Plex Media Server in which I use as a DVR. What would I be charged if I wanted my HDHR Prime tuner to be dedicated to DVR capabilities but wanted to use the app at my TVs so as not to interfere with my DVR - three TVs and one CableCard with three tuners. I'm not apposed to paying a $9.95 access fee for multiple TVs but not on a per TV basis.